Hamas Accepts A Qatar-Egypt Proposal; Israel Readies Planned Gaza City Offensive

1) A joint Egyptian-Qatari initiative, which reportedly calls for the release of only ten living hostages from Hamas captivity, has rekindled optimism vis-à-vis prospects of a hostage release deal. 2) U.S. President Donald Trump asserts that the only way to release all hostages from Hamas captivity is for the Palestinian terror group to be “confronted and destroyed.” 3) Tension between Australia and Israel are escalating – with bilateral relations reaching an all-time-low.